First salt - JBJ 24 Nanocube

[ED-Nano24]

Hi all!

I have had fresh water aquariums since I was a kid. Always wanted to make the switch. I bought my nanocube from a person that had it set up for 8 months and decided to up-size to a 150g. We tested the water at my lfs before I took it home. All was good with test. Took it home with water and all live rock and sand (no livestock). Let it cycle for about 10 days then started to add little by little. I have had it for 3 months.

Dose anyone have suggestions on options for filtering this nano? I think I have what was stock from factory. I have considered adding a protein skimmer but have been told it may not be worth it just to do regular water changes.

 

[Crystal A]

Looks good. Pwc are the best thing to do. My tank is 28 gallons and I do not have a skimmer no need. Pwc have done me good so far. As far as filtration what do you have going on now? I did notice that you don't have a power head or am I just blind. In a saltwater tank you gotta have good flow for corals and keeping ditrius suspended in the water colum.

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

Is there a filter built into the back overflow? I'm just starting a nano tank and my built in overflow has 2 media spots in the sponge. My LFS told me to run Purigen and Matrix...

 

[ED-Nano24]

My filtration consist of the first chamber in the back has two sponges. The second chamber has bio balls, a bag of ceramic rings, bag of carbon and a sponge. The third chamber just has the heater and the return pump for the DT. I do not have a powerhead. The return pump runs through a rotating nozzle which actually gives my tank pretty good flow. It is in the top right. I do 3 to 5 gallon water changes weekly.

 

[ED-Nano24]

I have also been told to run miracle mud and live rocks in the second chamber instead of the rings and carbon. Any thoughts?

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

Scrap the carbon and look in Seachem Purigen. Much better chemical filtration. As for live rock in the chamber, I would use the Seachem Martrix... It is designed to house anaerobic and aerobic bacteria because it has different sized pores in each piece.

 

[Crystal A]

I would lose the bio balls and rings but not all at once. In mine I have live rock rubble and live sand. The overflow flows into a three compartment basket where I have filter floss, that I change every week to two weeks, carbon pad and phosphate pad in the third chamber. I would still suggest a power head. Most stock pumps don't have too much flow. What kind of lighting does it have? I attached a pic is the back of my tank as well as a FTS.

 

[ED-Nano24]

The lights are blue/white combo 10k 36w.

 

[Crystal A]

Sounds decent. I'm not an expert on lighting. Still learning on that topic. My tank has metal halides so I didn't have to spend to much time thinking about lighting. So what is the plan with the tank? What kinda things would you like to do?

 

[ED-Nano24]

Well I have all the fish I am going to put in the tank. I have 2 clowns, six line wrasse, blue damsel and a coral beauty.

Corals I have are a leather, small birds nest, small cactus, Kenya tree, feather duster, a couple zoa frags, frogspawn and a 2 head candy cain.

I want at some point to add a brain and clam. I am also looking to add some other colors. Most of what I have is green.

 

[Crystal A]

Watch the coral beauty they are notorious for picking at coral. Maybe that's why they call them coral beauty. Lol

 

[Crystal A]

Oh and the blue devil....I mean damsel.